Adjustable light source having a bimetallic support arm



June 12, 1951 D. L. CLARK ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOURCE HAVING A BIMETALLICSUPPORT ARM Filed Sept. 18, 1947 Inventor- David L. Clark by His Attorne 5. I

Patented June 12, 1951 TENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOURCE HAVING ABIMETALLIC SUPPORT ARM David L. Clark, Bridgeport, Cnn., assignor toGeneral Electric Company,- a corporation of New York ApplicationSeptember 18, 1947, Serial No. 774,716

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mounting arrangements for lamps and moreparticularly to mounting arrangements for automatically adjusting theposition of lamps.

It is sometimes desirable to employ a lamp which is maintained in oneposition when not in use and which is automatically moved to a secondposition when in use. For example, it may be desirable to so arrange alamp that it is concealed from view except when actually in use and torelieve the user of the necessity of manually shifting the lamp from itsconcealed position each time he desires to use it.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to move a lampautomatically from one position to another upon energization.

It is another object of this invention to automatically shift a lampbetween operative and concealed positions in response to theenergization and deenergization of the lamp.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a lamp for adressing table or the like wherein the lamp is automatically moved uponenergization to direct its rays toward the normal position of the userof the dressing table.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity inthe claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For better understanding of this invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dressingtable including a lamp mounting arrangement embodying this inventionFig. 2 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of the dressingtable shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section,showing details of the lamp mounting arrangement; and Fig. 4 is a wiringdiagram of the power supply to the lamp.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a dressing table having a basestructure I and an upright reflecting surface 2. Adjacent the top of thereflecting surface 2 there is mounted an overhead canopy 3 forsupporting a plurality of light sources. The arrangement of the lightsources in combination with the dressing table is not part i Two suchsources are shown at 5 and 6 in this figure. Adjacent the light source 5there is provided a vertical light reflecting barrier l which is securedto the underside of the horizontal surface 4, and a similar verticallight reflecting barrier 8 is provided adjacent the source S. In therecess between the barriers i and 8 there is arranged a sunlamp 9.

The lower end of the lamp 9 extends only slightly below the lowerhorizontal surface of the canopy 3 so that the lamp, in the positionshown in Fig. 2, is substantially concealed within the overhead canopy.In order to conceal the upper portion of the lamp and the mountingstructure utilized in connection therewith a shield 10 is provided. Theshield it is a generally U-shaped dome-like structure which is securedto the upper side of the horizontal surface 4. As can best be seen inFig. 1, the shield til extends around the front and two sides of thelamp and its mounting structure so as to conceal these parts from view.

In Fig. 3 details of the mounting arrangement for the lamp are shown. Inorder to facilitate the supporting of the lamp mounting structure, aportion of the barrier l is bent outwardly as indicated at H. An arm I2is secured to the portion II by a rivet or other suitable fasteningmeans [3 and. a socket l t, which is provided with suitable threads (notshown) for engaging the base of the lamp 9, is secured to the upper endof the arm i2. The socket I4 may be secured to the arm by a bolt i5 orany other suitable fastening device.

In order to provide for the shifting of the lamp between the solid lineand the dotted line positions, the arm l2 includes a section It which iscomposed of bimetallic material adapted to flex in accordance withchanges in temperature. A source of heat for varying the temperature ofthe bimetallic section [6 is provided by a heating element H. Theheating element !'i is composed of high resistance wire wound about thebimetallic section or strip It so as to facilitate transfer of heatgenerated within the wire to the bimetallic section. At normaltemperatures the bimetallic element is straight as shown by the solidlines in Fig. 3. When the temperature of the bimetallic section israised through energization of the heating element I? the section Itflexes to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. This flexing of thebimetallic section effects a corresponding movement of the lamp from thesolid line position to the dotted line position,

wherein the rays emitted by the lamp are directed outwardly toward theuser seated in front of the dressing table.

The horizontal supporting surface 4 is provided with an opening l8through which the arm l2 and a portion of the lamp 9 extend. In orderthat the lamp 9 will be positioned at the correct angle to direct itsrays toward the user, an edge l9 of the opening i8 is arranged to act asa stop for the lamp in the operative or dotted line position. As shownin Fig. 3, when the bimetallic strip l6 flexes under the influence ofthe heating element ll, the lamp socket l4 engages the stop l9, andfurther movement of the lamp is prevented.

To insure that the lamp is automatically shifted to the dotted lineposition when in use the wiring arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is employed.Power is supplied to the lamp 9 from any suitable source through lines20 and 2!, and the energization of the lamp is controlled by switch 22.The heating element I! is arranged in series with the lamp 9 so thatwhen the switch 22 is closed, current is supplied both to the lamp 9 andto the heating element Ii. As explained previously, heat generatedwithin the element l: increases the temperature of the bimetallicsection 56 and effects a flexing of the bimetallic section to shift thelamp automatically to the dotted line position. Conversely, when theswitch 22 is opened to deenergize the lamp, current is cut oif from theheating element After a short time the temperature of the bimetallicsection !6 returns to normal and the bimetallic section resumes itssolid line position, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby moving the lamp t tothe concealed, or solid line position.

While a specific form of this invention has been shown in connectionwith a sunlamp for a dressing table it will be apparent that theinvention is not limited to the particular construction employed andother applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It isintended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all modificationswithin the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

l. A mounting arrangement for an electric lamp and the like comprising asupport including a recess for the lamp, means for moving the lampbetween a concealed and an exposed position response to the energizationof the lamp, said means including a bimetallic strip for mounting thelamp on said support, said strip comprising the en re mechanicalconnection between said lamp and said support, and a heating element forsaid bimetallic strip, said heating element being energized uponenergization of the lamp to cause a flexing of said bimetallic strip formoving the lamp from its concealed to its exposed position, said heatingelement being deenergized when said lamp is deenergized to cause reverseflexing of said strip for moving the lamp back to the concealedposition.

2. In combination with a dressing table or the like, a lamp mounted onsaid dressing table for movement from a first position substantiallyconcealed within a portion of said dressing table to a second positionwherein it is exposed and its rays are directed toward the normalposition of a user of said dressing table, an arm including a section ofbimetallic material, said arm constituting the sole mechanical supportfrom said table for mounting said lamp, a heating element adjacent saidbimetallic section, said heating element being energized uponenergization of said lamp to cause a flexing of said bimetallic sectionand to move said lamp from said. first position to said second position,and a stop for preventing movement of said lamp beyond said secondposition, said element being deenergized upon deenergization of saidlamp to move said lamp from said second position to said first position.

3. In combination with a dressing table or the like, an overheadlighting fixture, a lamp movable from a first position substantiallyconcealed within said fixture to a second position wherein its rays aredirected toward the normal position of a user of the dressing table, anarm constituting the sole means for mounting said lamp said fixture,said arm including a section of bi.- metallic material, and a heatingelement adjacent said bimetallic section, said heating element beingenergized upon energization of said lamp to cause said bimetallicsection to move said lamp from said first position to said secondposition, and said element being deenergized upon deenergization of saidlamp to cause movement of the lamp from said second to said firstposition.

i. In combination with a dressing table or the like, an overheadlighting fixture, said fixtu including a support, a lamp, an armconstituti; the sole means for supporting and for mountingsaid lamp onsaid support, said arm including a bimetallic strip adapted to fiex uponchange in temperature to move said lamp between a concealed and anexposed operative position relative to said support, a heating elementadjacent said bimetallic strip, said heating element being in serieswith said lamp whereby said heating element is energized when said lampis energized to move said lamp from its concealed to its operativeposition and deenergized when said lamp is deenergized to move the lampfrom exposed to concealed position.

DAVID L. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,861,752 Patterson June 7, 19322,345,235 Carter Mar. 28, 194:4

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 686,222 Germany Jan. 5, i940

